phenomenon of skinny whales was first noticed earlier this year ... telltale signs of malnutrition

Skinny whales point to perils of global warming 5:00AM Wednesday July 11, 2007

Grey whales are arriving at their breeding grounds without enough blubber to see them through.

Floods here, heatwave in the US- Is Al Gore right about climate change?
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"The ribs on one were quite visible, while the vertebrae on another poked out where there should have been inches of plump and healthy blubber," Dr Megill said. They were, he speculated, possible further evidence of the unforeseen impact of climate change on one of the world's most mysterious creatures.

"These were hungry whales which have probably endured two seasons without enough food," he said. "When they lose fat they lose insulation and start to feel cold and eventually die, literally starved to death."

Scientists who study the world's remaining grey whales see them for only a few seconds at a time when they surface for air. They photograph and catalogue every sighting and provide sometimes whimsical names. These whales were so hungry-looking that they were instantly named Kate and Twiggy.
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The phenomenon of skinny whales was first noticed earlier this year in the shallow San Ignacio Lagoon, where they over-winter while giving birth and then nurse their calves before setting out on their 9600km journey back to once-rich feeding grounds of the Bering Sea. It was in San Ignacio that a group of young American marine biologists noticed the telltale signs of malnutrition. ...